How to Draw an Ankylosaurus
Please PAUSE the "How to Draw an Ankylosaurus" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.
Step 1: Draw a big circle as a guide for the ankylosaurus's body. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. Leave enough room on either side for the head and tail.
Step 2: Draw two arcs (one on either side of the circle) as a guide for the rest of the ankylosaurus's body. The arc on the right should be a bit smaller and should be placed higher than the arc on the left.
Step 3: Draw a smaller circle on the left side of the body as a guide for the ankylosaurus's head.
Step 4: Draw two intersecting lines inside the head. These lines will help you place the ankylosaurus' facial features later on.
Step 5: Draw a small arc on the left side of the head as a guide for the ankylosaurus's muzzle.
Step 6: Draw four lines under the body as guides for the ankylosaurus's legs. Bend the lines a bit to indicate where the joints will be later on.
Step 7: Draw a circle, about the size of the head, above the body on the upper, right side as a guide for the tip of the ankylosaurus's tail.
Step 8: Draw a series of curved lines to complete the guide for the ankylosaurus's body. Two long, curved lines form the rest of the tail, and two shorter lines on the left create the neck.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 9: Draw the eye inside the head using the lines as guides for placement. The shape of the ankylosaurus's eye is similar to a football. Draw a circle inside the eye for the iris and a dot inside the iris for the pupil. Shade the inside of the eye except for a tiny circle that represents glare. Draw a series of lines around the eye to represent the bony brow and wrinkly skin.
Step 10: Follow the basic path of the initial arc as you lightly sketch the shape of the muzzle on the left side. The ankylosaurus's mouth had a beak-like shape. When you get the structure right, darken the lines. Draw a couple of short, curved lines on the top, right side of the mouth for the nostril.
Step 11: Draw the ankylosaurus's horns on the right side of the head using shapes similar to triangles. Use the initial circle as a guide for the placement. The lower horn on the other side of the head is not visible from this angle.
Step 12: Follow the path of the initial guides as you darken the lines to create the shape of the ankylosaurus's head.
Step 13: Use the lines on the left side of the body as guides to draw the front legs. Sketch the shape of the leg lightly as you follow the guide. Darken the lines when you get the structure right. Draw the toes and claws at the bottom using a few short lines and tiny, triangle-like shapes. Draw the ankylosaurus's front leg on the other side the same way. Start with a light sketch as you follow the guide. Then darken the lines when you get the structure right. Don't forget the toes and claws at the bottom!
Step 14: Use the lines on the right as guides to draw the ankylosaurus's hind legs the same way as the front legs. Make the hind legs longer as you follow the basic path of the guide line and sketch lightly. Darken the lines when you get the shape right. The leg should bend at the joints near the top and at the bottom. Now use the last line as a guide to draw the hind leg on the other side of the body. This leg is farther back because the dinosaur is mid-step. Bend the leg at the jonts using curved lines.
Step 15: Draw the two rows of bony bumps called osteoderms that line the back of the ankylosaurus. The osteoderms are similar in shape to triangles that bend to the right. Make them bigger near the front. Follow the basic top path of the initial guides as you draw the osteoderms on this side of the body. Then duplicate the shape slightly to the left for the osteoderm on the other side of the body. Then you'll have two rows. You can make these bony bumps bigger or smaller if you'd like. Osteoderms can be found in modern-day crocodiles too! Ankylosaurus had a lot of armor, so adding all the detail can be time- consuming. Be sure to take breaks! The osteoderms should get tinier the closer they are to the tip of the tail.
Step 16: Now draw the osteoderms that are on the side of the body, right below the first set. Start off with a single row that splits into two. Because of the angle, the osteoderms are more diamond-like in shape. Add an extra spike at the right side of the shape for the tip pointing toward the tail. Follow the basic curvature of the body as you draw the two rows. The osteoderms near the middle should be bigger. The shapes should get smaller the closer they are to the ankylosaurus's tail. They should also revert to a single row near the tip.
Step 17: Add the final row of osteoderms near the bottom of the ankylosaurus's body, using the row above as a guide. The osteoderms in this row should be similar to misshaped triangles pointing downward and to the left. It takes a very long time to draw all these shapes, so maybe split up the process and draw one row now and another later.
Step 18: Use the circle at the top as a guide to draw the club-like tip of the ankylosaurus's tail using a series of curved lines.
Step 19: Darken the remaining initial guides to create the shape of the rest of the ankylosaurus's body.
Step 20 (optional): For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. The ankylosaurus's armor makes this hard to do, so don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.
Final Step (optional): (optional): Add some shading to your ankylosaurus drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Don't worry too much about the shading if you're going to add more value to your ankylosaurus drawing .
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the dinosaur so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add even more value throughout your ankylosaurus drawing for extra detail. Shade using squiggles and scribbles to get a rough and scaly texture. Don't overthink it. Just add a bunch of small scribbles all over the body except for the osteoderms. Add the value lightly at first, then gradually build up to the level of darkness that you want.
Continue adding the scribbly texture until the ankylosaurus's entire body is covered with it. Add a darker value under the osteoderms for their cast shadow and to make them stand out more. Nobody knows for sure exactly what ankylosaurus looked like, so you can shade yours any way you'd like! Add a series of lines inside each osteoderm to give them a rougher texture. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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